Don't Feed the Lion

Annie and Theo Kaplan have a family ritual: every Friday night they celebrate Shabbat with their energetic, immigrant grandparents. But this Shabbat, which happens to fall on Annie’s eleventh birthday, isn’t like the others. Thirteen-year-old Theo’s soccer hero—Wes Mitchell—has posted an antisemitic message that quickly goes viral, leaving his parents disgusted, his sister enraged, and Theo himself clobbered by a torrent of confusion, anger, sadness, and a deep desire to just ignore it. 

Antisemitism quickly affects the entire Kaplan family in various ways. Theo’s teammates think Mitchell’s comments were no big deal, and Theo notices an uptick in anti-Jewish commentary around school. A rare act of rebellion draws Annie into the fray, and a new classmate shows that ignoring pain is no way to get through it. 

With unexpected twists and compelling characters, Don’t Feed the Lion explores how young people grapple with prejudice, allyship, and the courage to speak up. It asks readers of all backgrounds: What will you do when it’s your turn to choose? 

Two acclaimed journalists—Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levi—are tackling that question through their new middle-grade novel, Don’t Feed the Lion. It’s a powerful, timely story about one family’s response to growing hatred, and how young people can lead with courage and pride in the face of it. 

 
About the speaker: 

Bianna Golodryga is an Emmy® Award-winning journalist. Based in New York, she anchors “One World with Zain Asher and Bianna Golodryga” weekdays at 11 AM ET on CNN International and CNN Max and is CNN’s senior global affairs analyst. 

Golodryga has reported extensively on Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, helped lead CNN’s extensive Russia-related coverage, and regularly fills in as host of signature CNN programs, including “Amanpour” and “Fareed Zakaria GPS.”